Characteristics of the Geotourist

Examples: Cook Islands, South Pacific, and the OAS San Pedro Sula Declaration (pdf), whereby the Organization of American States tourism ministers declared geotourism the preferred model for Western Hemisphere countries.

Some positive effects include increasing tourist numbers and raising the local people’s income. A negative effect would be destroying a beautiful environment. One effect of geotourism is increasing tourist numbers. When the environment becomes more beautiful from geotourism, tourists would want to travel more.

Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the distinctive geographical character of a place—its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of its residents. About Geotourism. About Geotourism.

Green Destinations (GD) is a non-profit organisation of experts and destination ambassadors working in 80 countries. GD supports a large community of local, regional and country destination managers and stakeholders, enhancing destination sustainability, market visibility, and tourism quality.

• They seek out businesses that emphasize the character of the locale.
• They are environmentally aware and prefer businesses that actively work to reduce pollution, waste, energy/water usage, landscaping chemicals, and excessive nighttime lighting.
• They look for quality, not quantity.

According to the international Ecotourism Society, ecotourism is defined as the “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people,” while geotourism is defined as “Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place – its environment.

Geotourism has a number of characteristics. They are that it is geologically based, promotes geoconservation, fosters geo-education through geo-interpretation, and con- tributes to an area or region’s sustainable development through economic and social benefits.

The National Geographic Society defines Geotourism as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.”

EarthCheck is the owner of Standards, Management Systems and Certification Programs. Based on the objectives of Agenda 21, EarthCheck certifications apply the principles of sustainability in planning, building and operation in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and Israel are among the countries which are on England’s travel green list, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced.

The aim of geotourism is to make visitors aware of, and to gain some understanding of, the geological features that surround them. Geotourism is the kind of travel that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.

Example: Lake Tahoe’s multisite Geotourism Expo, held annually, seeks to restore character of place to a recreational destination long dominated by generic resorts. For more on the Tahoe geotourism movement, see Comstock magazine. Development of a geotourism visitor center.

Geotourism map-guides are the oldest projects used to promote the geotourism approach. Mobile apps can extend the information to smartphones, preferably with two-way functionality that solicits guided visitor feedback.

Some methods are more successful than others; some work better in one place or country than in another. In most cases, the best first step to convene a provisional Geotourism Stewardship Council (pdf). This helps bring people representing all the distinctive attributes of the place under one umbrella.